Introductory text

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

LICENSING (MARINE)

MARINE POLLUTION

Made 19th October 2026

Laid before Parliament 22nd October 2026

Coming into force 4th January 2027

The Secretary of State makes these Regulations in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 67(2) and (3), 72A(4) and (5), 74(1) and (2), 107A(3), 107B(5) and 316(1) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009^f1.

The Secretary of State is the appropriate licensing authority under section 113(2)(a), (4)(a), (6)(a) and (8) of that Act^f2.

The Secretary of State has had regard to the matters mentioned in section 74(4) of that Act, and has consulted in accordance with section 74(5) of that Act, before making provision in these Regulations under section 74 of that Act.

In deciding to make provision in these Regulations under section 67(2) and 72A(4) of that Act in respect of types of application to the licensing authority or in respect of an activity of the licensing authority, the Secretary of State has decided what provision to make by reference to the expected costs of dealing with that type of application or of carrying out that activity, in accordance with section 107B(2) of that Act.

Annotations

Footnotes

f1: 2009 c. 23. Section 72A was inserted by section 77(1), and sections 107A and 107B were inserted by section 78, of the Environment (Wales) Act 2016 (anaw 3). Those sections are amended by section 232 of the Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023 (c. 55). Section 113 was amended by section 46(2) of the Wales Act 2017 (c. 4).
f2: By virtue of section 113(2)(a), (4)(a), (6)(a) and (8) of the Marine and Coastal Access Act 2009, the Secretary of State is the “appropriate licensing authority” as respects anything done in the course of carrying out certain activities in the Scottish offshore region, Wales, the Welsh inshore region and the Welsh offshore region, Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland inshore region (see section 322(1) for the definition of those regions), and in relation to any area not mentioned in subsection (2), (4) or (6) of section 113.